Prosocial behaviors of adolescents in work and family life: Empathy and conflict resolution strategies with parents and peers

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between empathy and conflict resolution behaviors used by adolescents with peers and parents. A secondary purpose was to refine a conflict resolution measure. The purposeful sample (n = 186) consisted of students in the Ohio Work and Family Life programs from three communities across the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades.;Data were collected at the end of the second semester of the school year. Three instruments were used: Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980), Conflict Resolution Measure: Friends, Parents, Co-workers (CRM: FPC), Conflict Issues Checklist (Prinz, et al., 1979).;Females scored significantly higher on the four empathy subscales: fantasy, perspective taking, empathetic concern, and personal distress. Males had lower mean scores than females. Responses from the Friends Subscale (25 items) and the Parents Subscale (21 items) of the CRM: FPC were factor analyzed. Three factors existed with the Friends Subscale: Compromise (r = .81), Anger/Attack (r = .81), and Avoidance (r = .57), and with the Parents Subscale: Compromise (r = .84), Anger/Attack (r = .82), and Avoidance (r = .62). Areas of important conflict issues between adolescents and parents were related to household chores and family communication and adolescent decision making. There was a moderate relationship between compromising conflict resolution behaviors and perspective taking (r = .53) and between compromising and empathic response (r = .49). Multivariate analyses determined that grade level contributed to the variance in the empathy subscales, that gender and course contributed to the variance in conflict resolution with friends, and course contributed to the variance in conflict resolution with parents. Females tended to use more compromising and avoidance behaviors while males tend to use more anger/attack behaviors.;Curriculum development must promote empathy development that is age appropriate in both genders. Learning activities focusing on empathy may increase compromising conflict resolution behaviors in students. Adolescents resolve conflicts with compromising, anger/attack, and avoidance behaviors. Educators can help students determine their conflict resolution styles and what actions would be appropriate in conflict situations. Discussions about household chores and direct instruction in the some of the skills as well as building communication and decision making skills of the adolescents may reduce parent-adolescent conflict.